Want to Write in a Niche? Do This to Succeed

For years now, most of my income has been from business writing. That’s my niche, and it’s been good to me in terms of keeping a roof over my head. I’ve learned an incredible amount and think differently in positive ways because of it. I even started a podcast, Faithful on the Clock, that aims to help professionals navigate the intersection between business and the Christian faith.

But ask me if I’m passionate about business writing. The best I can honestly give you is a solid “meh.” Writing about agile methodologies or ways to improve emotional intelligence for leadership and team cohesion doesn’t light a fire in my belly. Make no mistake. I have thousands of business articles under my belt. I’ve had bylined or ghostwritten work in places like Harvard Business Review, Inc., Forbes, and Entrepreneur. So, I dare to say I have some skill in the subject area. But skill and passion are not the same thing.

Skill and passion don’t necessarily occur together in niche writing

People frequently assume that if you’ve got a skill for something, you’ll be passionate about it. But that’s often not the case. Skills often develop simply because someone practices. Although passion naturally can motivate you to practice, plenty of people practice for other reasons. Needing a job that pays better than a passion area does is a big one. Being pressured by parents or other loved ones to do a job they prefer you to have is another.

Applying this to developing a niche, the ideal is to establish yourself in a niche you not only have a skill for, but that you also are passionate about. The reason is simple. Once people know you as the “Whatever Topic” writer, they’re going to come to you and ask you to write about “Whatever Topic” again. And again. And again. In one sense, this is great. Over time, you’ll be such an expert that the writing will become almost effortless given what you’ve already learned. But it’s horrible in that “Whatever Topic” becomes the theme of your day, not the topic or stories you’re passionate about.

So, don’t get sucked into taking writing gigs just because they are in high demand and you can do them. Get sucked into writing projects because you genuinely love what you’re writing about and you can do them. If you’re after a sustainable approach, that’s it.

Image credit:
patpitchaya from Getty Images